Ember
by xxXTheySayI'mEvilXxx
Summary: n. A small piece of live coal, wood, etc. as in a dying fire. /Or: a different approach to why Hades wants to get off the Isle.


A/N: I'm gonna cry if we get a "Hades is Mal's father" surprise. This is kinda a mess cause I haven't written in a while but eh. There's a lotta lotta Greek myth and ten times more salt so uh. Also angst and plot-fixing.

* * *

Hades was sick of this.

His irritating brother managed to strip him of his powers and banish him to this wretched island all for what? Trying to overthrow his unjust ruling? Well _excuse _him for trying to get his baby brother to stop running around having trysts behind Hera's back! Even Poseidon communicated with Amphrite and had a _consensual_ open relationship! (Yeah there's a few instances, but he's making a point.)

Oh, dashing, wonderful Hercules, how the stories tell of his great adventures! Well, they never tell of how he killed Megara, her children, _and _his music tutor! Hades was keeping poor Meg safe from that rascal!

He still remembered learning her destiny from the Fates. Being a god he tried to avoid it by keeping her, but she died by fate like Hyacinthus and the disc—unable to change.

Plus, some god that he won't mention had the nerve to lock up Rhea, their mother with those titans. Kronos was dead, so why did it matter that much if he unleased them back? At least they didn't kidnap a fourteen year old child to serve Olympus. (Gods he felt bad for Ganymede.) And Persephone was giving a favor! He saw the way the other gods gave her looks, Demeter couldn't deny that fact. He never forced her to stay, sure she ate some seeds but hey, he warned her.

And now she was at his side again for "helping" his evil deeds.

Hades sighed, rubbing his forehead as he sat. Persephone grasped his hand, smiling. He looked over at her sorrowfully. It was his fault she was trapped in that form, such a tiny bit of her essence that she was unable to even change form or get rid of the terrible lines forming around her face or to have her hair in beautiful petals and leaves. Now it was a sad brown color, with a few pink highlights from a box of hair dye he found. She found blue for him back. (Sure he hadn't had flames in a while now, but this hair was absolutely _disgusting_, even in its most done-up form it was gross.)

"We won't stay here forever. A few years are a blink of an eye," she whispered gently.

"Not in these forms they aren't," Hades replied, "I just hope Thanatos is doing alright, Cerberus never liked him very much."

Persephone laughed, and it was like bells that still made Hades flustered after millennia. "Oh, that pup will be fine with him."

Hades's hand trembled. "Yeah." He looked at the floor, and up to the mantle, where Pain and Panic sat, frozen as gargoyles. Oh, how _sadistic _his little brother was.

She ran her hands through his hair. He leaned into it, smiling gently.

"Dad?" A soft voice called out, and Hades leaned back in his chair with a soft smile. "Mom?"

"Sweetheart," Persephone replied, "what do you need? It's very late."

Their son—their _son—_peeked around the corner. "I'm thirsty," he said quietly. Hades smiled and got up.

Hadie (no, Hades was _not _that egoistic to actually name his son that, it became a nickname so that they knew who his father was) tugged at his sleeves and smiled at his father.

A tiny bit of nectar was filled in a container (they had to ration it, they were running out and Hades would very much _not _like to eat those moldy mortal foods) and Hades poured some for his child. Hadie's eyes widened. "But-" he started, only to get cut off.

"We can get more if we plead enough, Uncle Zeus loves that," Hades told him, mumbling at the end. Hadie stared at the cup, and Hades put a hand on his fourteen-year-old's head. "It's okay."

Hadie took a small sip, eyes widening at the taste of the godly drink, and Hades laughed. That never got old.

"What's it taste like, bud?" Hades asked.

"Mm, brownies... I think. I only got a bit from Eddie once, and they were moldy, but this is... fresh."

Persephone looked at the floor, and Hades held his son close. "Someday we'll get you off of this garbage dump and you'll eat this for the rest of your life—no more moldy bread; I promise." Hades patted his son's shoulder. "Now get back to bed, kiddo. I love you."

"Love you too," Hadie said brightly, before going back upstairs.

Persephone smiled, twiddling her thumbs. "He's so bright, optimistic, it's nice," she murmured, and Hades kissed her forehead.

"Well, he is your son after all."

* * *

It was when Hades was staring at pictures of his other children, he recalled. A big grinning Plutus with an arm slung around a reluctant Zagreus. His two daughters holding up peace signs and sticking out their tongues. He missed them, but at the same time realieved that they didn't have to share this fate.

He wished Hadie wasn't another sadistic pleasure by Zeus, that Persephone didn't one day collapse and feel a sudden _**kick**. _He loved their child, but Hadie grew up never knowing what it was like to truly have _power, _to be a god with the world at his fingertips. (He would be a merciful and kind god, Hades decided, unlike the others.)

Persephone graced a finger along the photos and looked at her husband. "They will be okay. Probably raining hell upon Thanatos, but they'll be okay."

Hades laughed at the thought of it, his four children causing such utter chaos that made Thanatos's anxiety spike sky-high and even the Judges were ready to send them to Tartarus. Minos was probably five seconds away from turning them to gold and calling it a day, the other two contemplating on holding him back. The Fates themselves were probably on the edge, too. If they weren't impossible to kill they'd cut the thread already.

She squeezed his shoulder, turning back to the bits of fabric she was sewing together. He really hated that he couldn't wear a chiton, it was both a waste of fabric and completely unnecessary, as it would get in the way of everything. (Now he'd taken a liking to a certain 70's rock era.)

He sat down slowly and helped her piece together the scraps.

It wasn't long before a knock came on the door. Hades grumbled, answering it.

Claude Frollo was on the other end, sneering. Hades blinked. "Yes?"

A dark black blur came tumbling at his feet. Frollo kicked it (oh Fates that was _Hadie_) and looked up. "Your son caused a lot of trouble for me today," he pointed to his black eye, which gave Hades a surge of pride, "and thought he had the right to tell me how to raise _my _daughter."

Hadie glared at the man, and if they weren't on this _wretched _island zombies would already be dragging the man too his doom. Or perhaps razor-sharp stones piercing his heart? Nah, Hades liked the zombies better.

Frollo was about to say something, but flames zipped up from Hades's fingertips to his head and he was seething. "Don't you _dare _lay hands on my son again!" Fates, if he were a god he'd turn this man into a dung beetle or something. Perhaps a rabbit. Or maybe he'd be so kind as to turn poor Frollo into one of the gypsies he hates so much.

A wicked smile crossed Frollo's face as he walked out, Hades slamming the door behind him as he examined his son. Golden blood covered his face in parts, busted lip and messy eyes. Hades told his son to be careful after a particular _incident _with mortal kids that tried to take his blood to sell.

"I was out with Claudine, we were looking around shops 'n stuff, some kids had the decency to try for quick money again. We fought them off but Frollo got mad. I was just trying to help. He's insane." Hadie coughed a bit, before rummaging through his pockets. He held out something in his hands. "I got this though."

Hades picked it up. It was a palm-size blue tanzanite, obviously treated but otherwise raw. There were few flaws and a small crack running through it, but still, a precious stone of this size? Very rare. It was like finding a basketball-size of diamond.

_Especially _to the god of gemstones and metals. There was a lothe could do with this.

Hadie sat there, looking for approval. Hades smiled. "It's beautiful, dearest, but not worth you getting hurt, okay?"

A small frown formed on his son's lips and he squirmed. "Sorry."

Hades chuckled, placing it down to get the medical kit. "It's alright, little one." He wiped away the blood with the cleanest rag he could find, attempting to disinfect any wounds. Turns out he had scraps and scratches all over. There was even a particularly nasty gnash on his abdomen Persephone had to sew up, while Hades kept his son's attention by sprouting off as many rock facts as he could.

Hadie stared intently at the gem, and Hades turned back. He grabbed it, rolling it in his hands before summoning the little power he had left and pouring some of his essence into the stone, just a bit. (He could still feel some of himself in the Underworld, unable to access it by this stupid barrier.) Tanzanites were good for that, spirit and mind and heaven whatnot.

The jewel glowed, and Hadie squawked. Hades laughed.

"I thought...the barrier..." Hadie tried, and Persephone patted his shoulder.

"The barrier keeps out _magic, _sweetheart, we are not made of magic."

Hadie glanced back at the gem that Hades held. "If I could just get this past the barrier, it'll be enough to get us off of here," he looked Hadie in the eyes, "all of us."

"The Anti-Hero Club too, right?" Hadie asked, "I don't want them to suffer here."

Persephone cupped his face. "Of course, sweetheart, of course."

* * *

Hades was not having a good day.

It started with his television going fuzzy. It wasn't lie he really cared but being down here in this mine wasn't the best. Apparently, it didn't have the best service either. Who knew?

His gramophone was also scratched up, probably by a rat or something. Luckily his record discs were in good shape. So what if he's listened to Jailhouse Rock a couple hundred times? He could understand why Apollo liked Presley a lot.

Then it went with the news finally getting to the Isle with Uma loose. Her, of all people? His great niece was nothing but irritating, honestly.

Finally, another rat has knocked over the last of their nectar. They already were out of ambrosia, now this?

Hades turned to his speakers, inspecting them. Luckily, those hadn't broken. That bastard king had allowed him some mercy since he was staying a few hundred years more than the rest.

He plugged in his amps to the guitar, strumming a bit. He started playing a tune from the 80's—what was the name again? This is why he isn't the god of music—and winced when he hit a wrong note. Flames licked his fingertips and he set the guitar down before he burned it.

A hand placed itself on his shoulder, and he turned around quickly.

Persephone looked shaken, face pale and lip trembling. "It's Hadie," she whispered.

Hades didn't hear anything else from her, already making is way to his son's room. The support beams shuddered a bit and a bit of dirt fell, but Hades ignored it.

The bedding was strewn about, some parts a bit burnt and others layered with dirt. Hadie laid there, breathing heavy and cheeks flushed. Hades grappled for words but couldn't find any.

"He has a fever; his cut got infected," Persephone informed, biting her lip, "but I don't think that's it. I'm not a god of medicine, but there's been a strain of influenza going around..."

Hades pulled up a wobbly chair, clasping his son's hand in his. "Hey," he whispered. Hadie whimpered and looked over at him. "Little one, how are you feeling?"

"Really hurts," Hadie mumbled, eyes fluttering, "'n I feel really hot. Sick." Hades nudged a bucket closer, but Hadie didn't make any move towards it.

"It started this morning," his wife said softly, brushing their son's damp hair from his forehead, "I thought it was a small cold, but his wound looks bad." Hades glanced at it. It was ugly mix of colors and something was spewing out of it that certainly wasn't ichor.

Hades squeezed the young boy's hand. "It's okay, kiddo, I promise. It's just the flu, you'll get over it in no time."

That didn't happen. If anything, Hadie got worse.

He couldn't stomach food. He kept throwing it back up—the mold didn't help. Hades acquired more nectar and ambrosia but Hadie could barely take small bits at a time.

Persephone kept trying to disinfect his wound, but the bad water and dirty cloths didn't take away the bacteria.

Hades stormed around the mine, making it shake threateningly. He tidied up the room, cleaned the dishes, swept away dirt, but none of it helped. He picked up his guitar but after a few measures in fire was encasing his hands and he screamed. "You can take my powers, my immortality, anything, just don't hurt my family, don't you hurt my _son_!" he yelled, hoping his disgrace of a little brother was hearing. Maybe he could have the audacity to send his annoyingly narcissist son to heal Hadie. Yeah, right.

Hades growled, walking right up to the front entrance and slamming open the gates. People quickly leaped out of his way. They had never seen the god of death so angry before. That was good, because he was _enraged_.

He banged angrily on the part of the barrier closest to his home, not even flinching at the magic zipping along his skin, making angry red welts pop up.

The god of death took all his anger out on the barrier until his hands were raw and bleeding gold.

"That looks painful," a voice commented, and Hades turned. He groaned.

"So happy that you're out of this stickin barrier, huh?"

"Not necessarily," Uma replied, "I can't leave without my crew."

Hades sighed. "What do you want?"

"How about we strike a deal? I help you and your family get out of here, and you help me and my crew. You're a powerful ally, Uncle."

Ah yes, she was his great-niece. Luckily she knew better to not make him feel old.

He fished around in his pocket, holding up the tanzanite. Would Uma really keep her word? Of course she would, she cared about her crew enough to enlist help, she must have some sympathy to keep up her end.

"Alright," he said after a long hesitation. After all, what was a little more to his criminal record?


End file.
